BROOKINGS, S.D. - Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Transportation is the latest certification needed for beef cattle haulers and producers who deliver cattle to major packing plants. The BQA Transportation program focuses on transporter safety, delivering cattle in a timely manner, cattle fitness of transport, cattle handling, and emergency preparedness just to name a few topics. “This certification program will be a required part of business for any cattle hauler or producer who directly…

As the first frost date approaches, producers often have concerns about the risk of prussic acid poisoning in livestock. Certain forage plants, especially sorghums and related species are associated with an increased risk of death loss because of prussic acid poisoning. Understanding how poisoning occurs and what factors are involved in contributing to those conditions will help producers take management steps to minimize their risk. What is Prussic Acid and How Does Poisoning…

What do we do if it is time to wean calves, but the pen isn’t ready? That can be a real concern during wet fall seasons, such as 2019. Putting calves into muddy pen conditions is far from desirable, but holding calves on the cows deep into fall increases the risk of adverse winter weather and tends to pull body condition off the cows. Using cover crops as a feed resource for weaned…

Warren Rusche SDSU Extension Beef Feedlot Management Associate When it comes to nutritional management of growing and finishing cattle, the scientific aspects tend to get the most attention. Hours are spent getting the formulations right and debating the merits of different ingredients and additives. In truth, feeding cattle successfully is as much art and judgment as science. Judgment is required to balance between over- and under-feeding. Under-feeding limits performance and possibly Quality Grade.…